Ensnared
by WindlessHarmony
Summary: Sen has always admired Gen and Yoshimori. But now that he is alone, who can he trust now? SenXOC, Yaoi, and some OOCness.
1. Chapter 1

**This story took nearly a month to write, so I hope you're all happy with it. It's also the first chapter story that I've ever finished, along with one of my first OC's that will be with Sen from now on in some of the stories that I write.  
None of the chapters have comments of anything, sorry. I bascially wrote this is a very ong one-shot. Enjoy! -Canta**

He felt alone. The room was dark, the floor was cold, and his bones ached with the constant barrage of pain he was forced to endure. His eyes weren't covered; no, far from it actually. They were kept open all the time, his mind refusing to surrender to sleep in any way. The only time he would slip into slumber was when he passed out from exhaustion. And after that he would only sleep for a few hours before the nightmares attacked him yet again.

They were horrible rememberances' of his past experiences and the deaths of the people around him. He was burning up on the inside. The images went in a sequence, the same way night after night, time after time, day after day. Gen would fall into a puddle of blood, the raining washing away the ground as he tried to reach him; Gen would perish in a battle, only to reappear and torture him some more; Gen died, much more violently than he had; and lastly, Yoshimori would smile brokenly at him before he took his last breath.

Sen flinched awake, body trembling. His prison was unusually dark today, his pulse beating raggedly as he tried to force himself to calm down. He was held immobile by the ropes binding his hands behind his back. This was added by the even tighter ones wrapped around his chest to his lower stomach. His ankles were bound roughly, just enough to be felt but not enough to cut off his circulation. Circulated at his throat and even his ankles were light chains that connected him to the wall at his back; but even light, they still burned into his skin.

He hated feeling so vunerable but there wasn't much he could do; Sen couldn't even use his nails. Something about the collar around his throat, a stark black contrast against his skin, surpressed his powers and reminding him that he was a prisoner at whoever's mercy. He hated it so much.

He was sure he was going insane. There was nothing to do. His mouth was bound. His thoughts were riddled with fear. His body was weak and unbalanced.

Sen had lost all track of time.

They barely ever fed him, but when they did, the meals were administered through needles and IV's and anything else that would cause him pain. These people, the Kokuboro, certainly had no intention of treating him like a prisoner; they were treated him like something even lower. A pet, a slave, an _object._

This meaningless cycle had caused him to begin chewing on his lips, chewing on them so much that, eventually, the cloth, which had been changed from spiderweb some time ago, around his mouth was drawn with blood. The strangers "taking care of him" changed it. And it was also around then that someone else joined his prison.


	2. Chapter 2

He wasn't exactly sure why they did it and he honestly didn't care; all Sen wanted was to be free from his torturous room. His captors undid the covering over his mouth, slicing his bindings in several different places, but not quite enough to release him. And for the first few hours, or at least it felt like it, he ignored the intruder that now rested in much the same manner across from him, their body bound and chained quite like his own.

The stranger spoke first. "Hey, ya alive over there?" Sen lifted his eyes, glancing vaguely in the direction of the other. The voice was too low to be female yet too high to be male. He was unsure. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't." They moved just enough to reveal dark blue hair, the ends tinged with white. Sen's eyes widened slightly, the stranger's eyes bearing into his own.

They were a vivid, shocking color. They instantly made his heart stop, then skip a beat, then raggedly begin again. Everything about them was unnatural, screaming defiance against a natural order of the world. They weren't supposed to be there, wafting off a vibe that seemed to send a shiver through him. They were a livid purple, shifting to various dark and light pinks.

But the angular jawline and flawless skin announced that the stranger was, in fact, male. "Now why would ya wish for something like that?" The voice was a slow drip of calm, toned in just a way that seemingly resparked his temper. It was a smooth, well-cultivated voice made just for pissing people off, and piss him off he did.

"Living here doesn't exactly please me!" He spat, narrowing his eyes dangerously. But what the stranger did next completely caught him off guard; he actually started to _laugh._ A low, rumbling sound that quickly escalated into a full out song. Sen growled to himself, tugging on the ropes at his sides. All he wanted right now was to wipe that smug grin off of the finally-relaxed face.

"So what's your name, blondie?" A casual question. Who the hell did he think he was, calling him names? "My name is Sen. What the hell is yours?" He grumbled, annoyance prickling at his body. Even with his ankles bound, the stranger stood up, taking a step forward. Only when he did it, his feet went _through_ the ropes binding him, every single one of them falling away from his body.

The man rubbed his wrists for a second, stretching upwards. Sen gasped quietly, half from amazement at how he escaped, and half at the way the tendons in the purple-eyed stranger's neck and arms were stretching taut. He was wearing a white shirt, a dark blue scarf wrapped around his neck, almost as long as his ankles. His shorts were simple; black, with stitches of blue and silver that seemed to suggest rolling waves or a stormy sky.

He closed his eyes and drew in a deep, slow breath, trying to sort through his thoughts. _Okay, my name is Sen Kagemiya. I am a member of the Night Troops. My leader is Masamori. I am working to stop the Kokuboro. Oh, and I'm also going mentally insane._

Sen felt himself laugh lowly until a hand suddenly fell onto his shoulder, a strange feeling glueing his eyes shut as a sensation of being shifted went through him. Only he didn't _feel _like he was moving. The hand vanished, along with the unnerving feeling. Sen jolted forwards, discovering that he was free from his restraints. His unsteady form twisted before he had even stood, body falling- straight into the arms of the stranger.


	3. Chapter 3

"Who are you? Why did you release me?" Sen was suddenly conscience of how dirty he was; his normally blond hair was a light shade of brown, his normally white skin covered in grime and dirt. "The name's Riki. Can't stay down here forever, can we?" Well, he supposed not, but why was this strange man helping him?

That was about when he realized the stupid black collar was still tightly secured around his throat. "Why didn't this thing come off?" He asked, motioning to the object in question. Riki reached forward, grasping it between his fingers- while simultaniously choking Sen. But this didn't last long and the black length clattered to the floor. Sen stretched to his full height immediately, feeling so much better with the damn thing off.

"So Sen, what kinda power do ya have?" Rather than grace Riki with an answer, he went to the door and placed his palms against it, followed by his ear. It seemed to be fairly unsturdy, the worn wood rough against his fingers. Sen extended his nails just a bit, drawing a circle near the handle, since he automatically assumed it would be locked.

His nails pierced the structure without much resistance but the moment they went through the rough grain, he felt a tremor go through him. It was small at first, a seemingly insignificent disturbance as he tried to claw his way out of his prison. But it turned into a surging current that shocked him into stillness, eyes widening until he was suddenly thrown backwards.

Sen crashed into the wall, making a sound of pained shock, his body sliding down the harsh rock to rest sideways on the floor. Riki knelt onto the ground next to him, Sen cracking open a feral eye. He was attempting to hold back a laugh. "Ya okay, Sen? That was some performance ya had there." Sen grumbled a curse or two, moving his hands beneath him to attempt to rise to his knees.

He failed.

Riki smiled a bit, Sen narrowing his eyes dangerously. The blue-haired man reached out, hooking his hands underneath his armpits to lift him to his feet. Sen felt only fear.

He jerked away from his grasp, pressing back against the wall, afraid. "Hey, what's wrong? I only helped ya up." Sen shook his head back into reality, looking at the ground. He had always been a proud individual and normally wouldn't have accepted help from Riki, if this had been a normal situation. But he had been a bit shocked until he'd realized that another male was actually touching him.

"I-I'm just a little out of it. What was that? Some sort of current went through the door," Sen said quietly, watching as Riki glanced backwards at it. "Let me see." The blue scarf around his neck fluttered as he went to the wooden structure, the blond watching him. But he didn't see anything other than Riki's back, his body held perfectly still.


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't see anything strange about it. And ya never answered my question. What kinda power do ya got?" Sen composed himself, stumbling forward until he hovered next to Riki. "We need to get out of here." Riki looked annoyed and then sighed, latching his hand around Sen's wrist.

"W-What are you doing?" He asked, body trembling as he attempted to pull himself free.

"Just hold still, Sen. I ain't gonna hurt ya," Riki said, placing a hand against the door. He closed his eyes, Sen stopping his attempts to break free as he studied the other man's face. The muscles underneath his eyes twitched and he curved his mouth into a frown. And all of a sudden his hand went _through _the wood, taking Sen with him.

He was pulled into a dimly lit hallway, stairs spiraling upwards in a square-like pattern. Riki let go of him, falling to his knees as his body heaved for breath. Sen knelt next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I told you the door was messed up. And how did you do that?"

"If I tell ya, will ya tell me what kinda power ya got?" Sen bit his lip, Riki looking up at him after a few moments of hesitation. He decided not to tell the man about his mind-reading abilities. "My . . . nails grow at will." The blue-haired boy tilted his head, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "Why the wait? What's so bad about that?"

Sen sat cross-legged on the ground, staring at his hands. "I just . . . It seems so animalistic to me. I may be this way but . . . I just . . . This power is something that just doesn't . . . make me feel comfortable. I feel evil and malicious. I hate it. I hate it so much."

Riki sat next to him, pressing against his side. "Ya don't seem evil to me, Sen. Ya actually seem pretty nice, if ya can get over your anger management issues." Sen growled, a dark yet playful sound. "Are you going to explain _your_ abilities to _me_ now?"

He glanced sideways, watching as Riki raised his hands to stare at them. "Well . . . It's difficult to explain. I can create illusions with my mind and make them become tangible. As to how we got out of the bindings, I basically turned myself into an illusion. Anything I don't want near, or before me, or behind me, I simply go right through it. Usually it works pretty well unless I try to perform my technique on two people at the same time, which is why I collapsed. It takes a lot of power to propel two tangible objects through something."

"It's kinda funny, actually. I don't really have a fondness for vanishing acts or anything along those lines. I have a wonderful addiction to water. It's my favorite attribute." Sen felt a smile, for the first time since he had gotten here, stretch across his face. "I like air a little bit more than water. And I'm sorry to cut this short but we better head off. Someone is bound to stumble across us eventually and once they realize we've escaped, they'll come looking for us."

"Yeah," Riki said, suddenly becoming closed off. He stood up, extending a hand to him. Sen took it, ready for whatever was ahead.


	5. Chapter 5

Their feet clashed against the stone of the stairs, Riki beginning to fall behind the farther up they went. It came to a point where Sen came to a halt, waiting for the panting man to reach him. "You're not used to this, are you?" He asked.

Sen had been trained in combat. Riki looked too fragile to be a warrior.

"No, of course not. I don't usually do a lot of moving on a daily basis. I train for a few hours, but not like this. If I ever need to get away I just turn into an illusion. There really wasn't much call for running where I'm from." Sen sighed, making a look of annoyance in the opposite direction of the stranger.

"Get on. I've been running because I figured you wouldn't be able to keep up otherwise. I guess I was right." Riki hesitated, Sen glancing over his shoulder. "Well come on," he said, snapping the blue-haired man from whatever he was thinking about. Riki wrapped his arms around his throat, still pausing for a moment. The smaller of the two made a sound of impatience, Riki pushing upwards against the ground to wrap his legs around his waist.

Sen shifted his feet to accomidate or the extra weight, bending his knees slightly before he leaped upwards, his hands gripping Riki's legs. His scarf fluttered around in front of him before vanshing again. This continued, travelling upwards for who knew how long, Riki's scarf drifting into his line of sight. His breathing became labored, Riki continually getting heavier until, finally, he came to a patch of stairs, dropping forward.

His arm flashed out to stop the man on his back from falling onto his face, but Riki landed on his feet perfectly. Sen coughed once, attempting to regain his breath as he sat there. "Ya okay?" Riki asked. The blond-haired teen waved his comment away, standing on his swaying feet. "Why don't we rest for awhile? After all, you're doing most of the work."

He gave an annoyed smile before sitting down, grateful for the small pleasure of rest. "So where are you from, Riki? What does it look like?" Sen didn't look at him, just leaned back on the stone and stared upwards. "Well . . . I'm from a place far from here. It's a place that never changes and everything is always lush and alive. Along the side of our village is a beautiful lake, a single island in the middle. It has a special power that leaks from it and the flowers are always in full bloom. Not many people are allowed on it. Only the Elders of my village and then a few rare exceptions like me."

Sen had closed his eyes, imagining the wonderful place Riki had described for him, figuring that this small place was probably much like the Karasumori site. He also noticed that Riki lost his way of speaking when describing his home."So why are you here?" After a few moments of silence, he cracked open his eyes, swiveling his head towards the blue-haired individual. Riki had his arms resting against his legs, head hidden between his hands.

He was shaking.


	6. Chapter 6

Sen reached out, flattening his hand against his shoulder blade. Riki _flinched._ He decided not to push it, standing up swiftly. "Let's head off. The sooner we're out of this place, the sooner we can go back to Karasumori. And then you can go back home."

"I can't, not now, not ever," Riki whispered, staying where he was. Sen watched him for a moment. "Then where will you go after this?" His voice was quiet, soothing. "I dunno. With you, maybe? It's not like I have anywhere else to go."

Sen considered this for a moment, not exactly unhappy with the thought of Riki following him, but not exactly content with it either. "We should head off for now, Riki. They've probably discovered our disappearance by now." The seemingly defeated man suddenly sprang up, nodding with a smile on his face, scarf fluttering away. "Why don't we run for a while? And then we'll figure out what to do from there."

Sen nodded before shooting off up the stairs, Riki falling into step next to him. They zig zagged and crossed, flitted and leaped until, finally, they caught a glimpse of light. "Holy shit, how far down _is_ this place?" Sen panted, leaning against the wall for a moment. Riki caught up with him seconds later, that _damn scarf_ catching his attention again.

"Seems like we've been runnin' for hours!" He panted in response, falling against the stone next to Sen. "Just a little bit farther, Riki, and then we'll be in the light. Can't you see it up there?" Riki looked up at the sky, smiling slightly. "Oh yeah. Want to head off then?"

Sen nodded, allowing Riki to take the lead. He followed, observing the way that he was running. His body tended to lilt to the right everytime he set down his feet, a strange sway to his movements. _It's kind of like the way water flows _. . . Sen thought, noticing that the stairs were beginning to grow brighter and brighter, flooded with murky light.

They were almost there.


	7. Chapter 7

Sen got there first, his ankles twisting as his feet wrenched against the last step, his body skidding to a halt a few moments later. "Fuck, that hurts," he said, pushing himself up. Riki followed suit a few seconds later, landing gracefully on the stone ground, the dark blue hanging of cloth falling against his back softly. Old buildings carved of stone and wood rested around them, resolutely placed.

There wasn't a soul, or rather, Ayakashi, in sight.

Riki pulled him to his feet, Sen wrapping his right hand around a scrape on his left arm. It stung horribly, a few drops of blood slipping past his warm fingers to fall onto the dusty ground. "This is the Kokuboro, I believe. Or the Black Pampas Grass."

The blond nodded in response, glancing around the deeply usettling place. He tuned his ears, closing his eyes to listen to the area around them.

Sen heard fighting.

His eyes snapped open and he whipped his head to the side, meeting Riki's purple eyes. "Do you hear that?" Riki nodded, running off to the right. Sen followed him, dancing up the side of the building to get a better look. His feet clacked onto the stone, eyes scanning the sky. It was a grayish red, roiling in a splash that bordered the crimson hue of blood.


	8. Chapter 8

He wasn't exactly sure how it happened or what had even _occured_, but the next thing he remembered was waking up to bright light. Sen's yellow eyes cracked open, sunlight washed over his face and arms, but not quite reaching his lower body. Everything ached with a dull, pounding pain, his arms weak as he attempted to sit up.

"Hey, don't move too much, okay?" Sen glanced around for the source of the voice, finding it to be dreadfully familiar. And for some reason, he found himself not wanting to be near the owner.

Riki stepped into view from his back, coming around him to sit down on the stone before his hands. "W-what happened? Where are we and why am I here?"

"Let's just say ya had a run in with a memory-erasing Ayakashi. Ya didn't fare so well and I had to save your ass." Riki smiled but Sen wasn't amused. His yellow eyes flashed in the shadowy sunlight, Riki losing his laughing expression. He looked confused with a hint of hurt in his features. Sen thought it odd.

"So what exactly happened to me?" Riki lost his wierd expression in favour of becoming brighter. "Well, the both of ya began to fight and somehow, in the middle of it all, he was about to kill ya. But . . . for some reason . . . He just . . . stopped. And then he erased your memory and left ya there, bleeding." He grew silent, turning his head to glance through the opening of the cave.

Sen seemed to catch the strange vibe eminating from Riki, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. Something wasn't right; the way Riki spoke about what happened to him seeming odd. "What are you getting at, Riki?" And then it all seemed to click into place.

"Did _you_ attack me, Riki? Was your mission to _kill_ me?" Sen lashed his hand out, digging his fingers into Riki's shirt. He shook him a few times. _"Answer me!"_

After a few more shakes, and no answer, Sen stopped, registering the look of anguish and defeat on Riki's face. He was waiting for Sen to punish him. He let go of the other's shirt, sitting back down. He placed an elbow on his knee, hiding his face between his fingers.

"Yes. That was the reason they put me in there. I was supposed to kill you, Sen. There isn't an ounce of human blood in me; I'm an Ayakashi." Sen glanced through his fingers, looking at Riki. His face was downcast, his eyes filled with despair and sadness. "So . . . you're already dead?" It could only be described as a whisper.


	9. Chapter 9

Riki nodded brokenly.

"I don't know if you remember me, but I lived near you, when I was alive. You never really talked to me and I kept my distance from you, always watching you. I saw you that night, the first time you ever used your powers. I wanted to grow stronger and perfect the special ability I had, which was creating illusions. But I could also erase memories from the collective mind. This is what caused me to be killed. But even after I died, I still watched you, watched you until _they _caught me."

"But I thought you grew up on a lake, near an island?" Riki wrapped his arms around his knees, hiding his face. Sen decided not to question just who caught him; he already had a vague idea. "I did. But only after I died. So I never fully enjoyed it like I would've if I had been alive." Riki's voice was quiet, subdued.

Sen slid into the space next to him, looking up at the top of the cave. "I won't forgive you, not now and probably not for a while." No answer came from the other man and Sen figured that the conversation was over; he was about to leave. "I know. I knew that when I was about to kill you, even when I took this mission."

This single sentence, just the way it was spoken, wrenched at his heart. He could tell that Riki was generally repentant, but that still didn't change the fact that he had tried to kill him. "If you truly want to, you can come with me, Riki. I need to return to the Karasumori site." Sen was still angry, partly because he had tried to kill him and partly because Riki could erase memories. Who was to say he wasn't creating them as well? Riki glanced up at him, eyes shining a bit. "Ya mean it?"

Sen nodded, noticing that Riki only used his strange way of speaking when he was either happy or manipulative. When he grew serious, he grew subdued. He rose and went to the opening of the cave, peering through the almost blinding sunlight. "If this hurts you that much, why don't you just erase my memory again?" He spat, with much more anger than he had intended.

But instead of saying sorry, Sen walked outside, heading forward just because he needed to get away from Riki for awhile. Did he truly want a murderous, memory-altering illusionist travelling with him? All Riki would need to do is create an illusion and then he'd be dead. But wasn't Riki someone just like him? No, he was a full Ayakashi, his true body already gone. But Riki had grown up near him, right? Now that he thought back to it, he did remember seeing a blue-and-white haired boy that used to follow him around all the time.

And he remembered exactly where, how, and when he died.


	10. Chapter 10

Sen returned to the cave much later in the day, the bright sky now tainted a fading yellow and an array of other colors. Riki was lying in the far corner, his chest rising and falling slowly, his breathing steady and calm. He sat down on the other side, leaning backwards with his hands behind his head. Sen stayed there for awhile, listening to the sleeping form across from him. All of a sudden, Riki bolted upright, leaping to his feet and looking around frantically.

Sen sat up, raising his hands. "Hey, Riki, calm down." The blue-haired man whipped his head towards him, the tension in his shaking limbs suddenly vanishing as he leaped forwards, Sen bracing. He had an aching feeling that the other was going to kill him. But instead, Riki wrapped his arms around his chest, hiding his face in Sen's neck. He was shaking.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sen asked, making no move to push him away but not embracing him either. "Just . . . nightmares." Did Ayakashi even have nightmares? He supposed so. The blond wrapped his arms around the larger body, looking outside the cave. "Do you want to talk about them? Sometimes that makes them go away." Riki shook his head no, tightening his arms around him. That's about when Sen realized that the other was straddling his waist.

"So are you okay now?" He asked, slightly nervous. But Riki was obviously in no hurry to move. And then the other's arms moved up to circle around his neck, Riki gently placing his lips against his own. Sen was so shocked that he made no move, either to push away or pull towards him. Riki leaned his weight forward, knocking them both to the ground. He gasped, allowing Riki to plunge his tongue into him, the sensation of it running through his mouth surprisingly wonderful.

He was inexperianced in this field, completely new to the sensations running through him. Riki shifted so he had Sen's arms pinned above his head and his body held immobile by his legs. Riki broke their kiss in favour of moving his mouth to Sen's neck, licking the flesh before gently digging in his teeth. He gasped sharply, arching his back. A throaty growl escaped the man above him, the hand holding his own tightening slightly as Riki brushed downwards slowly.

Sen hated not being in control but at this particular moment, he couldn't care less. Riki brought his free hand downwards, a finger tracing along the hem of his shirt. A cold yet inviting hand slid up underneath it, two nails circling around his left nipple. Sen gritted his teeth which swiftly turned into a gasp of surprise when Riki finally pierced his flesh, digging his incisors into his shoulder deeply.

Licking his lips, a grin pasted firmly on his face, Riki lifted his head to meet his eyes. The purple hues were a strange, crimson pink that seemed to excite him on a deep, hidden level. Riki gave another thrust down, a barely audible moan slipping past his lips reluctantly.

The blue-haired man hovered centimeters above his lips, several drops of his own blood falling onto his own mouth. Sen licked them away, lifting his head upwards to join Riki in another heated kiss. He let go of his wrists, Sen reaching up to pull Riki down against him, wrapping his legs around his waist.

Riki broke the kiss, extricating himself from Sen's tight embrace. "Not yet. Lay on your back, Sen." Reluctantly, he obeyed, breathing laboured as his shirt was tugged off by Riki. He arched his back, but only enough to allow the Ayakashi to remove it from his form. Sen felt a faint blush dust across his cheeks, Riki reaching forward to unzip his jeans. He clenched his hands into fists, the purple-eyed man somehow managing to yank his pants from his body in an alluringly seductive way.

Next were his boxers, Riki sitting back on his heels to drag his eyes across his body. Warm air blew gently across his skin, massaging his battered body. His manhood sprang to life as that heated gaze travelled along his lithe form, Riki licking his lips in anticipation.

This was going to be interesting.


	11. Chapter 11

Sen looked up at the ceiling, his patience finally snapping. "Just get on with it already, dammit!" He hissed, Riki suddenly appearing above him. His eyes flashed in an almost predatory way, Sen reaching up to tug at the other's shirt. He allowed him to take it off, Riki lowering his head to clamp onto his right nipple.

His tongue traced along his chest, dancing to his left nipple before falling downwards into his navel. It took all of his will power not to buck upwards, Riki's hands tightening against his hips. Sen trembled in anticipation but the other's mouth didn't go anywhere near where he wanted it to, Riki instead choosing to nip and suck at his outer thighs.

Sen let out a strangled growl, propping himself up on his elbows. That's when Riki shifted over quickly, taking the tip of him in almost immediately. His head fell back, his fingers scraping against the stone floor as that hot tongue swirled around the head. He moaned in pleasure, clenching his eyes shut as the warmth moved farther down his erect cock.

_He's very experienced_, Sen thought briefly, but all thoughts he had were suddenly swept from his mind as two fingers traced around his entrance gently. The mouth left him for a few seconds, along with the fingers, before they both returned at nearly the same exact time. A single finger slid into him as RIki's mouth enveloped his arousal once more.

Sen arched his back at the discomfort rippling up his spine. But his soon-to-be lover added another finger, giving a few tentative thrusts before he began to move them around more, all the while tracing the veins along his cock with his skilled tongue. A whimper escaped his throat and then Riki began to hum, stimulating him even more. The fingers inside of him twisted and began to scissor, the tip of one of them brushing against his prostate.

Sen went to buck up, a moan leaving him but Riki's free hand held his hips still. Another finger was added, a burning sensation shooting up his spine and he whimpered at the stretching feeling. "You'll feel even better before long," Riki murmured huskily. His fingers scraped against stone, Sen feeling a slightly damp sensation underneath them. Were his fingers bleeding?

But at the moment he didn't really care if they were or not. And then all of a sudden, Riki's hands left him, his fingers pulling out. He whined at the loss of contact, opening his eyes to search for the other. Riki was sitting on his heels, undoing the dark blue scarf around his throat. He tugged it free, leaning over Sen with sharp eyes, filled with an emotion that his hazy mind couldn't quite classify.

Sen watched as Riki folded up his scarf, lying it on the ground somewhere near his head. "Are you sure you want to continue?" Why couldn't he have given him that option before? But he was too far gone to stop now. "Yes," he whispered quietly, breathing coming in quick, shallow pants. Riki stood up, unzipping his shorts before sliding them off in such a sexy way that Sen was practically salivating.

The Ayakashi dropped onto the ground in front of him, resuming his former attack on his neck. This distracted him for a moment, Sen dismissing the pressure against his hole until something began to stretch him, so much more than Riki's fingers. The tip of the other slipped inside, Sen gasping as his body tried to accomidate the intrusion, muscles rippling with tension as he clenched and unclenched around Riki.

"Relax or I can't move," the other purred against his ear, licking the inside. His eyes squeezed shut tightly, he let out a shaky breath, managing to loosen up just enough for Riki to push the rest of the way in. Sen moaned wantonly, fingers unconsciencely digging into Riki's shoulders.

Everything about the situation had seemed unreal until then. And now he knew that this wasn't a dream.


	12. Chapter 12

Finally used to the burning in his most private areas, Riki trapped him in a searing kiss before beginning to move slowly. Their pace was gentle at first, almost as if the other was relishing the moment, or just reveling in the sensation of filling the teen below him. Either way, Sen was lost in the amazing stimulation each thrust brought into him and before long, his moans had grown high pitched and more drawn out.

At a particularly hard thrust straight into his prostate, Sen arched his back into the other, moaning the loudest out of their whole ordeal. Not long after that, his thrusts became more erratic, going from fast and hard to slow and agonizing. Riki was panting with effort, eyes jaded as Sen looked up at him through a half-lidded gaze.

Suddenly, a hand wrapped around his arousal, stroking it in time with the Ayakashi's thrusts until, finally, he stopped withering. His muscles tensed up, a deep, throaty moan escaping his throat as he felt warm, white fluid leak out of the head of his swollen cock. A few more thrusts later and Riki shoved himself in to the hilt, back arching as he too released, the warm feeling coating his insides.

The blue-haired man collapsed onto Sen, a pained grunt escaping his lips. "Sen . . . your nails . . . are digging in . . . to my back." Almost at once, the blond yanked his hands away from the other, horror in his eyes. They had grown about half their normal length.

He lost all feelings of pleasure even though the tingling feeling was still there; all he felt was fear and regret. His body jolted upwards, eyes going at once to Riki's back. Deep, crimson-leaking gouges, all ten perfectly placed, sat in each of his shoulder blades. "Fuck, I'm so sorry Riki!" But all the other did was raise a hand to Sen's face, placing it against his right cheek. "I'm fine. Go to sleep now, okay?" The other whispered, a strange feeling of calm leaking into his veins.

A white light drew itself in a straight, narrow line through the center of his vision, teetering his mind on the edge of sleep and wakefulness. Instead of fighting against it, he let the warm, tantalizing feeling course through him, his mind surrendering to darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

Sen clenched his eyes for a moment, cracking them open to meet a blurry blackness above him. "Fuck," he muttered, rolling over onto his side. His body seized up immediately, pain shooting up his spine and through his legs. Sen's fingers clenched, toes curling as he fought against the wave, the sudden disturbance passing rapidly. He shuddered for a moment, not too keen on moving again.

That's when he realized that his body was clean, his clothes covering his skin once again. He shivered once, opening his eyes yet again as he searched for . . . what was his name? Riki? His mind was hazed over with subtly shifting pain, so much so that he barely remembered what had happened the night before.

Oh yeah! The two of them had . . . had done things that he, well, didn't quite regret, but he wasn't exactly at ease with it either. Where _was_ Riki anyway? Sen moved just enough to raise his head, squinting his eyes against the harsh brightness of sunlight. No one was there but a small pile of cherries rested on the ground several finger-lengths away, Sen flopping back against the stone, defeated.

So that was how it was going to be. Riki broke him out, nearly killed him, erased his memories, fucked him until he couldn't even stay awake anymore, and then left him? Sen supposed that would happen, settling for sighing and biting his lip against pain as he curled into a ball. That's when he noticed the scarf.

It was folded neatly and placed off to the side of the cave, just within arms reach. His hand shot instantly towards it, fingers closing around the silky fabric. He brought it towards him, examining it closely.

There was a note written in blood.


	14. Chapter 14

It seemed to be quickly scrawled, as if Riki had been in a hurry to get away. And it was only one word, several lines running from each, rickety letter; HELP. What had happened to the other man? Sen, reluctantly chewing on his lip to distract himself from unwanted pain, pulled himself upright, using the wall for balance. He one-handedly wrapped Riki's scarf around his neck, limping forward at an akward angle.

The sunlight outside reflected brightly from the stream just beyond the cave mouth, causing the glare from before. He squinted against it, glancing around, his eyes landing on soft indents in the mud near the edge. Sen limped forward, looking down at them. They were too large to be his own, another one seemingly smaller than the other. Who's was it?

He growled to himself, following next to them until they vanished, his feral eyes raising to look around. There was a small grove of trees off to his right, another across the widened stream on his left. Sen scanned the ground, spotting a few drops of blood. He limped forwards, looking down at it before creeping to the small grove of trees.

Several feet in, he stopped, a sudden sense of forboding shivering through him. The scent of blood, strong against his nose, drifted in the now-humid air. He moved forwards slowly, his feeling of unease steadily growing. His eyes were met with a horrid scene.

There were three Ayakashi before him, one kneeling behind a form that was half hidden by a second. The third was posed off to the side, his hands clenched tightly around two long, narrowly lean arms. What the hell was going on? As he watched, the first man, a strange one with short brown hair and green eyes, rocked his hips forward, the poor creature in the middle moving forwards to take in the second one's cock.

The second and third were relatively the same, both with silvery hair, the third with dark blue eyes. They all looked so horribly familiar. Sen pulled his eyes away, glancing around. And that's when he seen them; the black shorts inlaid with the shining sea and tumbling sky.

The form between the three was Riki.

On impulse, Sen leaped forwards, his nails instantly growing. They hardened, lengthening outwards to form a deadly accurate point. His right hand dug deeply into the blue-eyed Ayakashi's neck, blood spattering against his own face while his left hand ripped across the other silver head's back. They fell away from him, the green-eyed man tearing himself from Riki's body.

Sen dimly saw the water-obsessed Ayakashi crumple to the ground in pained defeat before he lost all handle on his sanity. He remembered whirling around, vivid red scattering around the clearing before everything slammed back into him.

The next thing he knew, he was carrying a passed-out Riki back to their cave. Sen scuffed his feet against the ground, avoiding his own gaze that was dying to stare back at him from the stream flowing peacefully at his side, taunting him with its hiss; _Monster. Abomination. _

_You don't belong._


	15. Chapter 15

He saw the cave appear and went towards it somberly, slipping inside as he set Riki down against the floor, finally seeing the word carved into his left arm. It was the same exact word etched onto the scarf, with the exact lines leaking from the cuts; HELP. Riki had that ability too?

Sen unwrapped the scarf, resting it against Riki's chest as he sat back against the wall rather harshly, pain shooting up his spine. He looked down at his hands, eyes widening as he finally saw the blood staining them. It horrified him, his body beginning to shake uncontrollably.

He got up as quick as he could, tripping out into the sunlight. Sen fell onto the ground, his right hand falling into the stream with a splash. Pink ribbons faded away in the water, Sen feelng tears well up in his eyes. He pulled his hand away, curling up on the soft ground. The tears came swiftly, staining his cheeks in salt as they fell onto the ground.

Someone dropped onto the ground next to him, gentle hands pulling his shaking form into their lap. He glanced upwards, meeting the purple eyes of Riki. "Why are you crying?" He whispered, brushing away his tears. Sen was quiet for a moment, blank eyes looking at Riki's open, gentle face.

"I told you I'm an animal. I'm uncontrollable. I . . . can't even remember if I killed those Ayakashi or not. I'm a monster, Riki!" Sen said brokenly, digging his nails into his arm. Riki snatched his arms apart, glaring down at him in despair. "You're not a monster, Sen. You saved me, didn't you? That makes you a good person."

The blue-haired man cuddled him closer, Sen finally coming to terms with himself; he was finally ready to accept this man, this proud, wonderful man as his lover. "Do you remember how you died, Riki." It was more of a statement rather than a question.

"No. I don't know how I died. I've never really wanted to find out." Sen felt a choked sob escape his throat. "They did it. Those three Ayakashi. And . . . and I killed them before as well," he said quietly, burying his face in the other's shirt. Riki didn't move, nor did he embrace him or speak. Tears stained the white shirt in his line of vision, Sen tightening his hands against Riki's shorts.

"They . . . killed me? And then you killed . . . them, for me? Why?" Sen didn't answer, just relaxed against the other. He was tired but Riki wanted an answer.

But he wasn't sure he wanted to give him one.


	16. Chapter 16

"I liked having a shadow. And you were so innocent back then. I-I just . . . If only I had left school a few minutes earlier. Then I could've saved you. I'm so sorry, Riki," his voice shook as the other's hands moved to his back, rubbing it gently to calm him down. "Sen . . . look at me. It's not your fault I died. There's nothing you could've done."

The blond-haired boy raised his head to meet the purple, tear-hazed eyes of the other. Riki looked broken and defeated and Sen assumed that he had to be, after hearing about his own death. "Let's go rest for a while, okay? And then we can return to the Karasumori site."

Without words, Sen righted himself, new pain scurrying up his spine as he tried to appear calm, holding his hand out to the other. Before Riki took it, he raised his hand to his left arm, completely brushing away the blood and carving previously etched there. He caught half of the word vanishing from the scarf and then Riki extended his arm, Sen pulling the weak form into his arms.

For the second time that day, he rested Riki against the ground, shifting so he was sprawled out beside him. The rapid rise and fall of the other's chest was all he heard for the first few minutes before it evened out to laboured breaths of sleep. Sen shivered as he began to let his thoughts wander for the first time in a long time.

Would the Night Troops allow him bring in Riki? He wasn't someone who needed to be monitored and observed, or groomed to perfection so he didn't kill anyone. He had amazing abilities that allowed him to easily take advantage of any situation. Riki would be a valuable asset to his team. But could he convince him to stay?

Sen wasn't quite ready to just let the other Ayakashi go, ecspecially after last night.

His body, finally exhausted from thinking and moving around, slipped into a deep, welcoming sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

He yawned, blinking awake to dim light and warmth wrapped around his form. Someone was pressed against his back, Sen assuming that it was Riki. For the first time in a while, he actually felt content, happy exactly where he was. "Good morning," he murmured, snuggling backwards. Riki's scarf slipped over his cheek, fluttering down over his mouth. He sighed happily. _I could stay here forever, just he and I. This is all I'd ever need._

"Are ya feeling better?" Riki's breath ghosted over his ear, warmth shivering down his spine. "Yes, thank you. How long have you been awake?" A hand fell over his waist, pulling him against the other. "A few minutes. You're quiet when you're asleep, blondie." Annoyance prickled at him, his hand turning as he grew out one of his nails to prod at Riki's head.

"Don't call me that. My name is Sen." The warmth left him, Riki sitting up behind him. All of a sudden, he was rolled onto his stomach, the Ayakashi straddling his hips. Warm lips brushed against his right ear. "I can't live without you now, Sen. I'll follow you wherever you want to go. I'll do anything that you want me to, no mattter what."

The blond closed his eyes, arms quivering. He didn't deserve this, this devotion that the other was so willing to give. "Riki, I . . . I can't make you do that for me." His fingers curled against stone, Sen retracting the single nail as it scraped horribly on the rock. "Allow me to show you that you can't make me; I'll do it willingly."

His breath hitched as Riki pulled his pants from his waist, revealing his entrance and his thighs. Sen opened his eyes, moving to glance behind him. The blue-haired man was smiling at him gently, eyes filled with what looked like lust.

Without warning, a finger slipped into him, Sen arching his back against he feeling. Riki's hand pulled him to his knees, his head resting against the stone floor. Another joined the first, prodding around for a moment before Riki's stomach pressed against his back. "I shouldn't have to prepare you too much, Sen. We've already done this once."

If speaking was still in his control, Sen would've immediately agreed. But all thoughts were wiped from his mind as the tip of Riki breached his opening. A moan left his lips, back arching against the form hovering above him. They held still for a moment before he thrust his hips forward, burying his entire length in the other's small body. Sen's breath came in ragged gasps, the sensation wonderful and painful all at the same time.

They remained motionless for a moment, both trying to catch their breath as pleasure rolled through their bodies. Sen shifted backwards, indicating his concent for Riki to begin moving. He pulled out almost to the tip before plunging back in, his erection rubbing against Sen's prostate. The blond moaned, Riki's hands digging into his hips as he thrusted forward again, harder, faster, deeper each time.

Sen rested his forehead against the stone floor, raising himself onto his elbows. After a few more thrusts, he came hard against the ground, Riki growing more erratic. The blue-haired Ayakashi buried himself into Sen as deep as he could, scorching warmth filling his insides as they collapsed onto the ground together, Riki rolling off to the side.


	18. Chapter 18

The cave was brighter now, Sen unsure how much time had passed. Riki pulled his body against his own, nuzzling his face into his hair. "Hey, stop that. I'm all dirty and nasty," he said but made no move to stop him. "That's okay," Riki whispered quietly, his voice content.

"I told ya, Sen, ya can't _make_ me take care of ya. I'll do it whether ya ask or not." Sen closed his eyes, smiling happily. "Thank you, Riki, for everything. But we really need to go. My team is probably searching high and low for me."

"Ya have a team? What organization are ya with?" Riki asked. Sen nodded to the team part. "Yes. I'm with the Night Troops and I lead my own team," he answered quietly, feeling the other tense against him. "Are ya . . . seeing any of them?" _Why the hell would he ask a question like that? How did that even come _into _the equation anyway?_

"Of course not! You're the first man I've ever slept with!" Those hands played with his hair for a moment before Riki brought a finger down to trace the bite mark he had given him. "Hey, that hurts," Sen said, clenching his eyes shut. The finger withdrew, instead resting on his cheek to pull his head to the side.

He hesitated for a moment when Riki brought his head down to kiss him before he reacted and opened his mouth, allowing the blue-haired individual to explore his orifice yet again. It was then that Sen drew the lines for their relationship; they were obviously going to be lovers.

He pulled back for air, their foreheads touching with their lips centimeters away from each other. "Riki, if we're going to be together I have a few simple rules. I am going to be the one to tell the others; you are not to erase or alter mine or any other individual on my team or in the Night Troops' minds; do not practice on me or anyone else unless they ask to spare with you. And one last thing; do not hurt, injure, or maim any member of the Night Troops. If you do, they can kill you and I can do nothing to stop them."

Sen looked up into Riki's eyes, the purple hues sparkling mischievously. "Alright, have it your way. Just as long as I'm with ya, I wouldn't care if we were trapped back in the Kokuboro's castle." The blond sat up, rubbing his lower back as he tried to work through the fresh pain. He staggered to his feet, pulling on his pants as Riki rose as well. He held out the cherries that had been placed near him before.

"Ya need to eat. It's been awhile," he said. Sen took them from him, smiling quietly.

It was almost time to go home.


	19. Chapter 19

Their way home was so strange that Sen was surprised that Riki even knew how to do it. He seemed to perform a wildly beautiful dance, twisting and twirling with his scarf swirling around his shoulders. Riki would stop momentarily, creating a small brown pillar with his powers, strange runes glowing a dark blue along the sides. His arms fanned outwards, his body suddenly swirling in a swift circle.

Sen gasped at the site that was presented to him; Riki's scarf was twirling in a perfect circle around him, a sparkling blue light beginning to grow out from it. A strange envelope of light encircled him before it flew outwards, splitting into four equal balls that hovered over the pillars. And Riki suddenly stopped, eyes closed, feet pressed together and arms raised to his chest, palms flatten as if he was praying.

The scarf drifted back to his sides, a small purple square standing on the tips of his fingers. Four beams shot out of it, each connecting with one of the spheres, which in turn shot a stream of light down into their alloted pillars.

A brillant flash of light blinded him, Sen covering his eyes as a gust of strong wind slammed against his body. "Hurry Sen! Move forward!" The blond braced against the barrage of wind, taking several steps forward before a hand closed over his own, body being thrown up into the sky.

He screamed, or perhaps that was the roaring in his ears, but he was swirling through space. All of a sudden he was thrown onto the ground, his bones jarring painfully. Sen coughed, cringing at the horrible sensations ripping through his body.

It felt as if he had been torn apart and then reconstructed again, eyes flicking open as he attempted to prop himself up on his elbows. "R-Riki, where a-are you?" He said quietly, glancing around the white in his vision. It evened out, revealing forest and dirt, sky and clouds.

And red.

Sen felt horror leach into his veins, Riki lying on the ground before him. Everything seemed to slow down as he moved forward, something like a sob escaping his lips. The form had been impaled against a large stick, one end poking out from his lower left side. His body was shaking uncontrollably, red filling his vision as he looked at Riki from his head to his feet.

He murmured soft words into the blue-haired man's ear, lifting him slowly from the crimson-stained wood. Sen pulled the seemingly small form into his lap, a tear falling onto Riki's face. His eyes were closed, face pained as his fingers clenched in his arm. "Help . . . me . . ." Riki whispered brokenly, Sen's heart breaking.

"Just hold on, Riki. I'll find help." Sen stood up, looking around swiftly as he tried to figure out where he was. Riki really was heavy but at that particular moment, he didn't quite care. A rush of adrenaline went through his body, Sen realizing that this was behind Yoshimori's private training grounds.

Without so much as a second thought, he raced off in the direction of Yoshimori's home.


	20. Chapter 20

His lungs were burning, his legs were aching, and his back was near giving out from supporting Riki and of their previous activity. The feeling of wet had already soaked through his clothes and into his skin. _He's going to bleed to death if I don't get there!_ His mind was sreaming at him to stop but he wouldn't listen, his feet clacking through the streets until, finally, he reached the wooden opening of the Night Troops current headquarters.

Sen skidded to a halt, racing down the walkway through a blur of raging colors. He threw open the door, several people stopping. Standing a few feet away from him was Masamori and Yoshimori, both of them swiveling their heads to look at him. "Help . . . him," he whispered before his legs gave out, vision going blank as he pitched forwards.

He heard voices. They grated at his ears, sometimes loud while at other times quite. "Shut . . . up," he hissed, turning over onto his side. "Hey, Sen! Sit your ass up!" The voice was achingly familiar. Yoshimori? Then it all came rushing back to him; Riki, escaping, their private moments together, returning, Riki getting injured . . . Riki!

He leaped into a sitting position, looking around frantically. "Where is he? Where's the man I brought with me?" Hands closed around his shoulders, Yoshimori's face falling into focus. "He's fine, Sen. He's right over there."

Sen dragged his eyes over to the other corner of the room, a form covered in a white blanket on a small bed roll. His body relaxed at the sight of the peaceful rise and fall of Riki's chest. "Thank God," he said, raising a hand to his face as his breathing evened out.

"Who the hell _is_ he, Sen? Masamori and I demand to know!" Sen hissed, dropping his hand and glaring at the teen next to him. "I don't have to tell you anything!" He snapped, pushing himself up from the bed to stumble towards the other. Sen barely made it two steps before his legs gave out again, Yoshimori hooking his hands under his arms to hold him up.

"Don't touch me!" He snarled, jerking from the other's grasp to sit on the ground next to Riki. "But you do have to answer to me, Sen." His body froze, head turning to meet the calm eyes of his leader, Masamori. "C-Chief, I'm sorry. I didn't . . . see you there." Masamori regarded him with a collected gaze, his half-smile irritating him on such an annoying level.

"His name is Riki. He helped me escape the Kokuboro and helped me get back on my feet after I'd nearly been killed." Sen looked back down at the pained expression of his lover, brushing some of the white-tipped hairs away from his eyes. Were the nightmares back? "Is he going to survive?" The question was soft, a quiet disturbance of the blood-salted air.

"He's going to be fine, Sen. The shower is over there; feel free to use it," Masamori said, two sets of footsteps brushing against his ears, followed by the sound of a screen sliding shut. "Quit pretending, Riki. They're gone now." His comment was followed by the cracking open of shifting purple eyes and a pained smile. "Help me sit up, Sen. Please?" The blond slipped an arm underneath Riki's waist gently, Riki using his other to stay up straight.

"Ya know, they _did_ give us the shower." Sen caught he suggestive tone in Riki's voice, narrowing his eyes as he smirked. "You're in no condition to fuck me, Riki. Sorry." But the grin on the other's face remained. "Who said I was going to fuck ya? All I need to do is lie down in the stream and let ya fuck yourself." Sen's face grew skeptical, then turned into the biggest grin he had ever given someone in his entire life.

"Why don't we put your theory to the test?"


	21. Chapter 21

Sen pushed his hands upwards against the tiled floor, eyes shut as his breath came in quick, rapid succession. Riki was propped up against the wall, warm liquid falling over their already scorching bodies. He slammed his hips down, muscles shuddering with tension. The Ayakashi's erection was nestled firmly inside his body, fitting so perfectly within him. "R-Riki," he moaned, raising his hips yet again for another thrust.

"You're amazing, Sen," he breathed, the hand holding onto his hip tightening. Riki's other hand was wrapped around his own erection, stroking it with every rise and fall that Sen performed. He lifted himself again, forcing his overly-pleasured body to move faster.

He moaned throatily, Riki's teasing hand finally drawing out his climax. The white fluid covered their thighs and Riki's stomach before being washed away in the stream of hot water. Sen stopped, letting him slip from his entrance. He shifted downward, nuzzling his head against Riki's inner thighs.

"Ya don't have to do that, Sen." The blond raised his head, meeting the half-lidded eyes of his lover. "Nonsense. Just hold still and let me work." Without waiting for the other to protest, he closed a hand around Riki's erection, swirling his tongue around the slit. He dipped it inside, hearing the other moan as hands tangled into his wet hair.

Sen moved his head forward, holding still for a moment as he barely caught Riki's breathing above the pounding of the water. He knew that he had to be close so he didn't bother teasing the other man. The blond simply swallowed, relaxed his gag reflex, and heard Riki moan loudly as the searing liquid filled his mouth. He swallowed it, lifting his head to lick his lips.

They took the rest of their shower together, Sen holding the injured Riki in his lap as he cleaned away the blood and semen from his stomach. "I love you, Sen," he heard the other whisper, pausing in his movements. "You . . . love me?" Riki swiveled his head around, purple eyes filled with surprise.

"Whatdaya mean, 'Ya love me?' Of course I do!" Sen smiled, continuing to clean the blood away from the half-healed puncture in his side. "I love you too, Riki." The Ayakashi smiled lightly, snuggling back into him. Sen watched as he quickly slipped into sleep, reaching forwards to turn off the water. He hoisted the dripping body into his arms, wrapping him in a towel as best as he could.

The blond dried him off, walking back into the bedroom and gently setting Riki onto the bed where he had previously woken up in. He dried off the dark blue hair, glancing over at the scarf folded neatly on the ground with their clothes.

He took the towel, drying himself off. For the first time in a while, Sen actually felt clean and contented, both at the same time. "You make me so happy, Riki. For the first time in a long time," he murmured, pulling on some grey pants that had been set aside for them. He did the same to Riki, curling up next to him as he pulled the white blanket over their heads.

_This is all I'll ever need._


	22. Chapter 22

Someone was shaking him gently, Sen cracking open his eyes to the pained face of Riki. "S-Sen. My . . . side. It hurts." He sat up, feral eyes adjusting to the darkness. The blond reached to his left, flicking on the light on the table at his side. Crimson had stained the white sheets, Riki's body covered in a thin sheen of sweat as his hands clutched at his side.

"Let me look," he said frantically, Riki moving his hands. The wound was pulsing with a sickly red glow, several streams leaking from it and onto his hands. "Fuck, I should've wrapped it up last night. I'm such an idiot! I'm so sorry, Riki."

The other whimpered. "Not . . . you're fault," Riki wheezed. "Yes it is! You're in pain because of me!" A forced laugh escaped the form in front of him, quickly turning into a rasping cough. Sen bit his lip, rubbing Riki's back as it passed. "Don't over-exert yourself, okay? You need some rest. Stay here while I go poke around for some bandages and painkillers."

The blue-haired man nodded subtly, breathing fast and hard as he rested back against the bed. Sen moved off of the bed, feeling Riki's head. He had a fever. Quickly, he pulled on a white t-shirt and hurried to the door, yanking it open before slipping outside.

He glanced to the left and then the right, catching the retreating back of Yoshimori as he went to go into his room. "Hey, Yoshimori!" He whispered fiercely, hurrying down towards him. "Oh, hey Sen. Is everything alright?"

"No, it's not alright. Riki's wound has started bleeding again and I think it's infected. He has a fever." Yoshimori's eyes widened and he scratched the back of his head. "Come with me. I'll get my dad." The Kekkaishi led him down the hallways quickly, light filling the hallway as they reached the kitchen. "Hey Dad, we need you're help!"

The light nearly blinded him, giving way to the kitchen. Standing around were Masamori, Yoshimori's father, and Toshimori. "What do you need, Yoshimori?" Sen glanced at each of their faces, catching vague interest in whatever was going on.

They were hiding their excitement and anxiety so very well.

Yoshimori looked to him, signaling that he should speak. "Riki has a fever and his wound opened back up. I think it's infected." No one moved, the silence of seconds stretching on to minutes. Sen felt anger and uneasy confusion flowing through his veins.

"Well?" He finally asked, breaking the silence. "Sen, I don't think it's a good idea to help that man. We have no idea who or what he is. How do we know we can trust him?" Masamori asked, blank eyes regarding him calmly.


	23. Chapter 23

"What do mean, you can't trust him! He saved me, didn't he? That should be grounds enough for you to trust him!" He whipped around, leaving the kitchen in a rush. Yoshimori called out after him. "What are you doing, Sen?"

"I can't just let him die, you ungrateful bastards!" He growled, nails digging deeply into his palms. The pain distracted him from the thought of what he'd do if Riki died.

He didn't think he could bare it.

Sen drew the door open, taking a deep breath so he closed it without too much force. He ripped off his shirt, tearing it into long, thick strips, climbing onto the bed next to Riki. "S-Sen," the form whispered, heavy-lidded eyes meeting his own. "Just hold still, Riki. I don't have any painkillers but I'll do my best to make you comfortable."

He set the cloth on the bed, leaving it quickly to go into the bathroom. Sen shifted through the cupboards, finding several rags and a bottle with a few tylenol in it. _This'll have to do._ He wetted four of the rags before heading back out, folding one of them up to rest it against Riki's head. Sen began to clean away the blood from Riki's wound before he left again, searching through the cupboards for rubbing alcohol.

"This is going to sting, Riki. Just bite your lip and try to think of something else." Riki nodded, tensing against what was to come. He dabbed the liquid onto one of the rags, hating that he was about to hurt his lover. Riki's body arched upwards, a cry of agony escaping his lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered, tears welling up in his eyes.

He cleaned the wound as quickly and gently as he could, finally pulling the cloth away from his back. Sen wrapped the wound delicately, returning to the bathroom to re-soak the rag and get a glass of water. His movements where sharp yet weighed down with pain as he set it against Riki's forehead. "T-Thank you, Sen." His voice broke Sen's heart, the quiet whisper that ghosted despairingly against his ears.


	24. Chapter 24

"Don't mention it, Riki. Just take these and try to get some sleep, okay?" After a few minutes of coaxing, he finally eased the water and pills down the Ayakashi's throat. He settled him back into the soft plush of the bed, covering him only to his waist. And then he fell onto the floor, certain that Riki was asleep.

He curled into a ball, eyes staring blankly at the door. They didn't want to help him. They didn't care if his saviour was dying. _Is that how they feel about me?_

How could his chief be so _cruel? _So what if they had no idea what Riki was! He was a _living thing, _something that needed to be taken care of in its hour of need. And his leader had _abandoned_ him.

His nails dug even further into his palms, crimson dripping onto the wooden floor. Sen let up the pressure, looking at his shaking hands. Ten perfect cuts sat in the pads of his hands, ten perfect mockeries of what he had done to Riki. He had allowed the other to be injured, hurt. And now he was possibly dying.

Sen cried himself to sleep.


	25. Chapter 25

The blond didn't bother blinking or cracking open his eyes. He simply stretched them open and used the bedframe to pull himself up onto the bed. Sen reached his hand outwards, searching for Riki's body. But it wasn't there.

He snapped to full alertness, whipping his head around frantically as he attempted to find the injured Ayakashi. Fear tore through his veins, body beginning to tremble. _I've lost him again. Why am I so stupid?_ But a hand suddenly fell onto his shoulder, a lopsided Riki falling into his line of sight. Sen helped him back to the bed, resting him back against the pillows.

"I was just goin' to the bathroom. Don't freak out, Sen. Jeez." Sen smiled, laughing softly. He extended his arm, placing the back of his hand against Riki's head. It was cool to the touch. "Your fever broke! How does your side feel?"

"I think it's completely healed now. Wanna check?" Sen nodded, beginning to upwrap the makeshift bandages. "Amazing! It's completely healed! I guess all it took was some sleep." He ran his hands over the flawless, warm skin below his fingers. Riki's own hand moved over his own, the blond looking up into those gentle purple eyes.

"Thank you, Sen. You've been so kind to me. If this had happened at any other time, I'm sure that I'd be dead." Sen shook his head, not wanting the praise. "No. It's my fault you were even in this situation to begin with."

They were silent for a few minutes, Sen resting his head in Riki's lap as he climbed onto the bed. "I heard them. You refused to let me go, even if it ment defying your own leader." He tightened his hands in the folds of Riki's pants, looking at the door. "Of course. You saved my life and I owe you more than I can ever repay."

Riki's hand began to stroke his head, playing with the loose strands of his blond hair. They sat in silence for a while, Sen practically purring at the attention he was receiving. He wished that it would never end.


	26. Chapter 26

The touches stopped, that hand going still against his head. "I was thinking, Sen. Why don't we escape from this place and find a new home? We could vanish and be together for the rest of our lives." It was a wonderful thought, something that Sen would've gladly done for his lover. But he couldn't, not now, not when everything was so out og order.

He couldn't just abandon his team.

"Riki, I'm needed here. Now that you're going to be okay, maybe we can convince them to let you join my team." The blue-haired man tickled the edges of his ear, distracting him for a moment. "Wherever ya go, I go. Remember our conversation from before?" As much as he wanted to stay where he was, content and happy in Riki's arms, he knew that he had to make things right. "We might as well get dressed and find something to eat before we go and see the Chief."

He pulled away from Riki, stretching his arms and legs wearily, spotting the red lying on the ground near his now-clean clothes. _My jacket! I thought I lost it!_ Sen picked up his pile, setting Riki's on the bed next to him. He was suddenly yanked forward, the Ayakashi kissing him deeply. They broke away after a few moments, catching their breath.

"We have _some_ time, don't we?" Riki whispered mischieviously, grinning against his cheek. The blond raised an arm, curling it around Riki's neck to pull him closer. "I suppose we shouldn't waste it," he answered, swinging his body over to straddle Riki's waist. He leaned forward until his mouth brushed against the other's ear. "Do you want me to do the work or do you want to stretch your body?"

"Why don't we _both_ do some work," Riki answer, licking his jawline. "How?" Sen whispered, nuzzling against his lover's chin. "Allow me to show ya."

Riki rolled to the side, pinning Sen beneath him. He leaned off to the side, reaching for something on the ground. His eyes followed his every movement, the blue-haired man returning with the ocean-colored scarf. Riki took hold of his pants, slipping them from his body. His shirt was already gone.

He was already half-hard, the purple-eyed Ayakashi licking his lips as he took in the view. Then he reached forward, wrapping the end of the scarf around the bottom of his swelling cock, creating a loop and tightening it enough to create stimulation but not enough to prevent his release. The scarf was still nearly ten feet long, Riki wrapping some of it around his wrists before securing them to the headboard. His legs followed, entrance propped up just enough to allow Riki full access to his body.

Before he said anything about the strange confinement and how he was 'helping', Riki placed a finger against his lips. "_Mine_," he whispered, head vanishing as warm breath blew across his opening. "R-Riki," he moaned as a tongue suddenly delved into him, tasting and prodding. A finger joined it, followed by another, Sen arching his back at the pleasure shivering through him.

The warmth and fingers suddenly vanished, Riki plunging into him in one swift motion. A sound of shocked pleasure and pain escaped his lips, Sen throwing his head back to let out a low moan. "R-Riki!" The other tugged on the scarf, drawing it tighter. His body hummed with tension, wonderful waves of pleasure and pain shivering up his spine.

Riki's hands moved upwards to tease and pinch at his nipples, his mouth digging into his collarbone. The stimulation flooding into him was almost too much, a high-pitched keen escaping him that was suddenly smothered by Riki's mouth. "We don't want anyone to see us, do we?" He whispered against his lips.

And then he began to move, his thrusts hard, fast, and pleasurably deep. _He's going to be the death of me. This wonderful, horrible man is going to kill me one day._

_"Mine, all mine," Riki whispered._


	27. Chapter 27

They curled up next to each other, content with just lying there. Sen shifted, laying his head against Riki's chest. "So why _do_ you have an obsession with water?" The blue-haired man looked down at his curious eyes. "Well that suddenly came from out of no where," he said, smiling lightly.

"Well I want to know. Isn't that what lovers do, share information about themselves?" Riki tipped is head to the side. "I guess." He paused for a moment, seeming like he was trying to gather all of his thoughts together to put into words. "It all started when I was little, before I met you or anybody else in our town. My mother and I took a walk through the forest, just the two of us. But then . . ." Sen felt dread fill him, knowing that something bad was going to happen.

He sat up, pressing his hand against Riki's cheek. "Hey, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want." Those purple eyes met his own, feral and unnatural freezing each other. "You asked, so I'm going to finish the story. Lie back down."

He obeyed, pressing against Riki's side once more. "We were attacked by a strange man. His body was deteriorating, bandages loosely covering his body. And his eyes; they were golden with big red pupils. My mother threw me to the side, knocking me into some bushes. He . . . he ended her life, right then and there, a stranger he had probably never met before. But then he started to come towards me."

"Instead of screaming, like most kids would've done, I simply sat there, watching him. Just as he was about to kill me, he stopped." Sen briefly wondered how such a gruesome story could lead to an addiction to water. "He asked me, "Why aren't you afraid? I just killed your mother in front of your eyes." And I said, "I can't be afraid of death, because then I would be dishonoring her." That strange man started to laugh at me and I started to dig my nails into my palms. I don't really understand it, but I think the anger inside of me just surged forwards all of a sudden."

"And then something happened. A bright blue light filled the sky and it began to rain. Not just a small, light spring rain, but a full out torrential downpour. But none of it touched me. It all fell onto that man. His skin seemed to sizzle for a moment before he vanished. And I didn't see him again until after I had died and the Kokuboro had brought me into the castle. But that water had saved my life and, somehow, it changed my hair color. It used to be blond, just like yours. And that is how I came to worship water."

Riki grinned, Sen looking up at him. He was trying to understand why the description of the strange man sounded so familiar. _Could it be Kaguro . . . ?_ He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Let's get ready now. We're already behind as is," Sen said, pulling away from Riki to stand up. "I've already gotten behind you."

Sen shot him a look of mock annoyance at his companion. "Don't make me hurt you," he said lowly, pulling on his pants. Riki laughed, tugging a new white shirt on. "Whatrya gonna do, sit on me and tickle me with your nails?" The blond gritted his teeth, pulling on his own shirt, followed by his red jacket. He missed the damn thing.

He watched as Riki draped the scarf along the back of his neck, twisting it so he could loop it and pull it tight. The fabric fluttered as he shifted it behind his shoulders, the ends of it almost going to his ankles yet again. "So how does that work?" He asked.


	28. Chapter 28

Riki smiled slyly. "It's something that I crafted from water and my blood. If I carve anything into my arms, then it appears on this scarf. That's how I was able to communicate with you." Sen tipped his head to the side. Jeez, Riki had thought of everything; his ways of communication, escape routes, powers, attacks. He felt unexperienced in comparison.

"Come on. I'll take you to meet the Chief." He held out his hand to him, Riki taking it as he opened the door. Sen smiled at him, leading him out into the hallway. Several children jumped and raced away from them, laughing as they went. Riki stepped out after him, closing he door with his free hand. They walked along the hallways, several of the Night Troops shooting strange glances their way; he chose to ignore them.

Sen opened the door to Masamori's sitting room, finding the Chief with his back turned away from them, alone. Riki's body suddenly froze, his hand jerking from his grasp. "He's your leader!" He looked over at the Ayakashi, registering the distrust and anger swirling from his eyes. "Riki, what's wrong? You know the Chief?" He asked, looking between them.

_"Know him?_ That man tried to kill me!" Riki growled, hands curling into fists. He made a noise of exasperation, looking to Masamori's back. "Chief, is that true? Is that why you didn't want to help him?" The other man rose, turning to the side to stare at them from his left eye. "That man is dangerous, Sen. You shouldn't be standing so close to him."

"W-What do you mean, dangerous? Riki, what's he talking about?" Sen asked, staring at the blue-haired man. _Why do I sound so conflicted?_ "I'm sorry, Sen. I can't tell you anything about that just yet," Riki answered, fierce eyes regarding Masamori with rage. He watched as Masamori turned completely around, raising his hand. "If you hurt a single person here, I will kill you, no questions asked. Do you understand, _Riki?"_

The Ayakashi gritted his teeth, growling lowly as Sen tried to put pieces into place. Why had Masamori put so much emphasis on Riki's name? The blond decided that they didn't need to be in the same room together anymore and instead turned around, pushing Riki through the doorway. Sen closed the door until there was only a slim crack, eye looking with Masamori's.

"If you attempt to do harm to him in any way, I'll be forced to fight you. And I don't want that, Chief, no matter how much you all want to abandon me. We'll both disappear and never return if you force anything out of us." With that final note, he slammed the door, walking down the hallway. Riki walked closely behind him, several people parting to allow them passage.

"Traitor!" Someone hissed. "Filth!" Sen felt something break inside of him then, his body just barely keeping his facade of calm and undisturbed intimacy. He threw open the door, climbing onto the bed and resting his head in his hands as it clicked softly back into place. Riki sat behind him, resting his head aganst the headboard to stare at the ceiling.

"They hate me," he said quietly, breaking the disturbing silence. "They hate you because I'm here, Sen. I'll leave and let you live a normal life. Then they'll welcome you back with open arms and allow you to be yourself. I'll go tonight, after they've all gone to sleep, okay? I'll even erase their memories if you want me to," Riki whispered quietly.


	29. Chapter 29

"W-What are you saying, Riki? You'd leave me just because my comrades hate me? Y-You can't, not now, not now that I've fallen for you!" Sen nearly shouted, jerking upright to stare at the man beside him with tear-filled eyes. Riki looked up at him in surprise, extending shaking arms towards him. The blond moved forwards, burying his head in Riki's chest.

"I've gone and made ya cry again," the Ayakashi said quietly, stroking his head softly. He curled up in Riki's lap, clinging onto him for dear life. "Riki, you've made me fall in love with you. Everything I thought I was living for . . . It's all gone now. You are my everything, and I want to be yours too. You've already claimed my body numerous times, but why won't you claim my affections as well?"

He stayed silent for a moment, tracing random patterns through his hair. "Ya have quite a way with words, Sen. I've always been yours, from the moment I first saw ya. Ya were the only person I ever saw, the only person I ever wanted to be with. But I can't surrender myself completely, or I might end up hurting ya and all of your friends as well."

"What do mean, you'll hurt me and all of my friends?" Riki trailed two fingers under his chin, angling his head to meet the purple eyes of his lover. "You may not believe it, but Masamori is just trying to protect you. I can project emotions and alter others in completely different people, but not myself. When I surrender myself to my desires, my emotions take tangible forms."

"There was a time where I was lost between life and death, before I figured out that I had passed. My mind was still reforming my old abilities and creating my new ones. During this, I lost all of my memories and ended up falling in love with another man. But . . . when my memories and powers returned, I was disgusted with myself. My despair grew into a gaping hole of anger that began to pull everything into it."

"That happened to include a small village. Masamori appeared, along with his 'organzation' and attempted to stop me. He almost succeeded, until I finally calmed myself down enough to create a feeling of calm. The hole vanished and no one was killed. But he was still trying to kill me. And that's when the Kokuboro appeared and spirited me away."

The story terrified him, Sen beginning to shake. _Just what powers and hidden abilities does Riki possess? What_ hasn't _he told me about?_ "I still won't leave you, no matter what," he whispered quietly, fingers clenching into Riki's shirt. They sat there in silence for a little bit, those soothing fingers combing through his hair and effectively terminating his sadness.

"I won't leave you either, Sen. I fell for you years ago." He smiled quietly, falling asleep in Riki's arms. _Forever._


	30. Chapter 30

But sleep didn't last forever, and he blinked awake, arching his back to stretch and sit up. A gently snoring Riki was stretched out across from him. Sen smiled before sitting on the edge of he bed, resting his head in his hands. And he thought.

_If we escape, will they stop us? Chief might take Riki prisoner and force me to stay here, not that he'd be able to hold him. But then he might kill us both, no questions asked. And if he kills just me, or just Riki, then the other is most certainly going to follow._

_If he kills me, Riki's emotions will fall out of his control and destroy everyone and everything. If he kills Riki, I . . . I . . . _

_What will you do?_

The voice startled him since it was certainly not his own. _What will you do, monster? What will you do?_

_You don't belong, not here with them. _**Stop it. **_You don't belong with Riki; you'll injure him and then you'll kill everyone around you. _**Stop it!** _This is not your place. _**Shut up! **_You'll destroy everything dear to you. _**Leave me alone!** _You'll kill the ones you love and become consumed with darkness._

"Get out of my head!" He hissed, clutching his hair in his hands. The voice continued, droning on and on. Sen fell onto the floor, covering his ears as he tried to get them to stop. They went on and grew louder, more persistant, feeding fear and anger into his heart as he desperately tried to think again. He was so transfixed on the voices that he didn't even feel the hand touch his shoulder or the soft words that followed them.

"Get away from me! Get out of my mind!" He growled venomously, fingers curling into his hands. A sudden silence filled his head, the only noise coming from his rapid breath. He slumped against the ground, staring at the far wall. That's when he felt the hand, seeing Riki sitting behind him.

"Are you okay now, Sen? What was that even about? Nightmares?"

"No. Voices, telling me what a monster I was." He lay there a while longer, staring at the white ceiling with Riki combing his hair to calm him down. _I never thought that would work, or that I would let anyone touch it to begin with. _And then he smiled.


	31. Chapter 31

"We're going to leave here, Riki. But only to move to our own house. We'll take a break from doing anything serious with the Night Troops and get to know them a bit. Maybe they'll take a liking to you," Sen said, smiling up at his lover. Riki looked down at him, eyes quivering slightly. He narrowed his eyes a bit, a voice suddenly threading into his mind. _Vanish? That seems reasonable._

"D-Did you say something . . .?" Sen asked, tipping his head. "No. Are ya okay?" Riki asked, Sen sitting up to stare at him. _Is he . . . imagining things? I didn't say anything. Is someone playing with his mind?_ The blond's eyes widened, his hands leaving Riki's shirt. He decided to try something. "Yeah, I'm alright, just a little tired. I wanna take a shower."

_Take a shower, hmm? I can arrange that for ya, Sen._ He watched as Riki grinned, reaching out towards him. But he leapt away, standing at the end of the bed. "Sen, what's wrong?" I thought you were tired." Riki regarded him with confused eyes. "No, I'm not tired. I'm trying to figure out why I'm hearing your thoughts."

"You can . . . hear my thoughts?" _How did _. . . Sen didn't hear the rest. His mind seemed to close off to him and he tried to focus harder, to hear just what he was thinking. _This is strange. Could I do this before . . . ?_ Now that he thought back to it, he had always been able to read others' thoughts. So why had he forgotten about his ability?

And then his eyes widened in realization; Riki had erased his memory of their battle. Had that affected other parts of his memories as well? If so, what else had he forgotten? "My memory disappeared. What else did you take away from me?" Sen said lowly, narrowing his eyes.

The blue-haired man looked up at him, their eyes meeting. "I only erased our battle, Sen. How long were you in that dungeon? Maybe you forgot how to do it there?" Those eyes seemed to shimmer with sadness, his voice sounding uneven and vain. But he wouldn't be convinced so easily. "Riki," he said dangerously, glaring at him.

The Ayakashi flinched, dropping his eyes to stare at the floor. "Sorry is all I can give you," the form said, his shoulders slumping and his face vanishing behind his hands. Sen curled his hands into fists, growling to himself lowly. "I need to hit something," he hissed, walking to the bathroom.

But he didn't hit anything. All he did was dig his nails into the wooden sink, the tips curling inward enough to cut into his thighs.


	32. Chapter 32

He showered in peace, washing the blood away from his destroyed legs. His nails had done more damage then he had previously thought, the skin ripped to near unrecognizable. Sen wrapped them in cloth, pulling back on his regular clothes; blue suspenders, green pants, long-sleeved black shirt, and his black gloves.

He'd stopped wearing them after he had been captured by the Kokuboro. And then he heard a knock. Curious, he slipped from the bathroom, finding Riki lying on the bed with his back turned away from him. Sen went to the door, cracking open the door to meet the eyes of Masamori.

"Chief," he said quietly, drawing the door open a little bit more. His leader regarded him with unreadable eyes, the pupils moving just enough that Sen knew he was examining Riki's defeated form. "I want you to go to Karasumori with Yoshimori and Tokine tonight."

The blond narrowed his eyes, hand tightening on the door handle. "What makes you think I'm still with the Night Troops? You were going to let my friend die. He's _dangerous_, remember?" He hissed quietly, watching a shadow flicker over Masamori's face. "I didn't discharge you. You are still on my team, no matter what you say. Go there tonight."

"Or you'll what, _discharge me?" _Sen growled, slamming the door and whipping around. He went and sat on the bed, growling as he dug his hands into his wounds. His friends, comrades, Riki . . . even his leader. Who could he trust now?

"I have nothing anymore. Everything I held dear to me is slowly slipping from my fingers. Riki, why did you have to come help me from that place? I could've died with no regrets," he whispered, staring at the ground blankly. Sen stood up, pulling on his red jacket. "I guess I'll rejoin the world."

He glanced backwards at Riki._ Is it smart to bring him along? I certainly don't want to leave him here but I really don't want him with me either._ Sen sighed, reaching out across the bed to shake the sleeping form. "Hey, Riki. Wake up. We're going somewhere." The blue-haired man grumbled before opening his eyes, revealing the blood-shot aftermath of his tears.

He felt disgusted with himself.

"I'm sorry, Riki. I was just . . . upset. But come on! You're gonna get to see something that every Ayakashi dreams about." He groaned, turning away from him. _Is he alright?_ Sen reached outwards, shaking him again. "Quit bugging me. I'll get up when I feel like it."

"But we need to go now. You'll get to see the Karasumori site." Riki grumbled again before sitting up, stretching. He drew the back of his hand over his eyes before reaching for the scarf hanging off of the headboard. _Huh, I didn't see it there._ The Ayakashi tied it swiftly before standing up and throwing the ends over his shoulders. "Ready?" Sen asked.

"As I'll ever be," Riki answered. The blond straightened and looked at the door. Whatever happened tonight, he knew that one of them wasn't coming back uninjured.


	33. Chapter 33

The streets were silent, the dark of night hiding their forms as they skipped along the rooftops. Sen could hide his presence; Riki couldn't. Or atleast, that's what he had previously thought. When he'd asked the purple-eyed man about it, he stated that he could turn himself into an illusion and therefore became an unreal being.

He could see the school appearing in the distance, a dark shadow on the horizon. Riki tensed beside him, his movements becoming quicker as Sen matched his pace. Was it already affecting him from all the way out here?

And then it hit him; this human-like form wasn't _Riki. _Sure, it _looked_ like Riki, acted like him, and even smelled like him. But it wasn't actually _him. _Just what did he really look like? It couldn't be human skin wrapped around his body because he had torn it several times and actually bled real blood. And the skin had taken, although quicker than a normal human, a few days to heal.

He skidded to a halt, Riki doing the same. The gates of Karasumori loomed above them. "Riki, remember what I said before?" The man nodded, composing himself as they leaped into the air, landing perfectly on the other side of the fence. Sen had warned Riki before, on their way here how to behave and what to avoid doing. He only hoped it would be enough.

No one was there to greet them but he sensed Yoshimori, Tokine, and Masamori nearby. "Come on," he said, swerving away from the three Kekkaishi. Riki walked perfectly straight, steeled against the power tingling up his spine.

It was feeling that was hard to describe. Sen knew it felt wonderful and sent amazing feelings of calm into his body, at other times growing excited and urgent. It was as if it enjoyed teasing the people that entered the site, growing and then retreating when they least expected it.

"This is Karasumori," he said, sweeping his arms around. "Hey Sen. I thought Ayakashi were never allowed in here?"

"They're not. You're a rare exception because you're with me," he answered bluntly, crossing his arms and glancing around. Something wasn't right; the Kekkaishi weren't coming to check on them, which wouldn't have bothered him, but they weren't moving either. Something's not right, he thought bending his legs to grab the side of the school building. Without waiting for Riki, he flashed up to the roof before landing perfectly to scan the surrounding area.

More than just Kekkaishi were waiting for him.


	34. Chapter 34

He spotted Shu, Atura, and Dai among them, several more of the Night Troop standing behind Masamori. "I thought you weren't coming," he said, arms crossed in that agitating way. "I came because I felt like it. After tonight, I'm leaving." Sen felt Riki fall onto the rooftop next to him, scarf fluttering in front of him as they faced the eyes of the scattered people.

Several people, including Shu and Dai, tensed, taking a step or two back. "He won't hurt you. He can control the flow of energy in and out of his body." Riki kept perfectly still, their arms brushing. The silence stretched to minutes, Sen taking several moments to meet the eyes of all those gathered. "Think whatever you want. After tonight, we're gone."

He turned, Riki following after him as he went to the edge of the building. "I enjoyed working with you when you all called me your friend. I'll do my job one last time- and then you'll all be free of your burdon," he hissed, leaping over the side of the building.

Riki ran down the stone at his side, Sen hearing the scarf flutter in the wind that was stinging his eyes. _"Together," _he whispered, the small word lost to the night sky.

They landed on the ground with a dull thud, Sen immediately straightening and walking off into the cover of the forested groove of trees. "Riki, we're going to find somewhere else to live after tonight, okay?" Riki came to a halt next to him, looking straight into his eyes. "You'd give up this life to be with me?"

Anger bubbled inside of him. "I'm not doing it for you. It was time to leave anyway," he growled lowly, looking away from the form standing before him. Those larger arms enveloped him and Sen realized that this was the first _real _hug they had ever actually shared together, save the one he'd recieved when Riki had experienced his nightmares. So he accepted it, meeting the taller man with a tight embrace.

"I'm scared, Riki. I don't think I'll be able to survive without my friends, without you. You'll forgive me, right? And you'll walk along with me, every step of the way?" He whispered into that scarved neck. "Of course I will, Sen. Did you even need to ask?" Warm breath blew against his ear, shifting his on-edge anger into a regret-filled calm.

Of course they would ruin the moment.


	35. Chapter 35

Yoshimori and Masamori dropped onto the ground in front of them, Sen resting his head in the hollow of Riki's neck. "What do you want?" Sen growled, watching confusion flicker over the young Kekkaishi's face. "You're decision is rash and unthought out, Sen. Are you sure you won't reconsider?"

"Unless you can get rid of the hostility, open distrust, and allow Riki to stay here, then no, sorry Chief. I can't agree." They stared at the two of them, Yoshimori's face twisted into an expression of confused distaste. "We can work something out," Masamori said at last, turning to walk away.

The other stayed.

"Sen, what are you doing?" The blond pulled away from Riki's grasp, going to stand in front of the slightly taller teen. "What do you mean, _Yoshimori?" _He said lowly, meeting the other's eyes with feral intensity. "I mean, what are you doing with him? And since when did friends hug like that?"

Sen whipped away from Yoshimori, going to stand in front of Riki. "We're together. And if you don't like it, too bad." He turned his head to meet the shocked gaze of the Kekkaishi. Riki wrapped his arms around his waist, watching the other with an unreadable expression. "As in-" Sen cut him off.

"We are doing any little thing you can imagine. I'm going to do my job; I suggest you do yours," he growled, breaking from the Ayakashi's grip to walk away. He followed next to him, leaving the gaping Yoshimori behind. Sen sighed, walking for a bit before Riki walked around him, stopping in front of him.

"I can feel your anger and sadness, Sen. Are you going to be alright?" The blond narrowed his eyes slightly, mouth moving into a slight frown of sadness. He stared at Riki's chest before raising his eyes, meeting the dark purple orbs. "I want to stay here but I also want to leave as quickly as possible. I . . . I don't know what to do, Riki."

The Ayakashi moved forward, enveloping his smaller body in his arms. "We could always go to my home. I have a house by the lake that I described, if you'd like to go there, Sen." He pulled his head back a bit to look at Riki. "How far away is this place?"

He seemed to take a moment to think about it. "Why don't we go there now?" Sen shook his head no, pulling away to sweep his arms around. "Let's finish up here first. Then we can go back and gather up anything we may have left behind. Okay?" Riki nodded and he turned, scanning the area around him.

"Let's go."


	36. Chapter 36

Riki leaned back next to him, Sen resting against the tree. Tonight was quiet, only one Ayakashi that didn't even require their assistance. He hadn't asked yet, but what had happened to the Kokuboro? Maybe Riki knew?

"Hey Riki. After we . . . fought, what happened? Are the Kokuboro still there?" The blue-haired man didn't say anything, his eyes closed and face twisted into an unreadable expression. _What is he . . .?_ Sen closed his eyes, straining his senses outwards. He didn't feel anything; the night air was quiet and undisturbed.

He reopened his eyes, looking over at the Ayakashi. "Riki! Did you hear me?" The man jumped, slipping sideways. Sen's hands flashed out to stop him from taking a plunge to the ground below. "Careful!" He said, helping him sit upright again. "What was that all about?"

Riki raised a hand to his head, rubbing his temple gently. "I fell asleep, sorry. What did you say about the Kokuboro?" The blond sighed, stretching out across the branch to stare through the leaves. The stars twinkled above him.

"What happened to them? Are they still there?" Again, he didn't recieve an answer, the silence stretching outwards. So Sen let it be, closing his eyes to think about something, anything. The jolt stabbed through him, eyes flying open as he sat up swiftly. Riki felt it as well, his nails digging into the bark of the tree as they exchanged a look.

He jumped down first, coat fluttering as his muscles contracted to accomodate landing on the dusty ground. Riki landed next to him and they both shot off, racing towards the back of the school. Sen swerved around the side, feet spraying dirt as he went.

Tokine and Yoshimori stood in front of a rather large Ayakashi, several people including Shu and Masamori appearing on the top of the school. It was massive, with a large head and six bulbous eyes, green oozing from its mouth. It's body was lithe as if made for running, two strong arms hovering on either side as a long black tail swished against the soft sand.

Sen glanced at Riki, signaling for him to move closer. "Create an illusion of Tokine and Yoshimori, along with me. I'll get everyone to attack it while it's confused. I'll make sure it can't get to you, okay? I promise." The Ayakashi nodded in agreement. "Give me a moment to tell the others. And then I'lll give you the signal."

With this, the blond leaped forwards, landing sotly next to the Kekkaishi. "Yoshimori, Tokine, Riki is going to create an illusion of the both of you before we attack. Wait until I give the signal before you begin." The brunette clenched his teeth for a moment before nodding, the both of them leaping away.

"Do it now, Riki!" He said, amber eyes meeting with the almost black ones. The blue scarf curled upwards, wrapping along his arms to rest on his forefinger. Riki gave a circular twist, a shimmer lacing through his eyes before something appeared next to him.

It was himself.


	37. Chapter 37

Sen gave a quick grin before crouching down, springing upwards to sail into the air. The Ayakashi took the bait, roaring as he dove for the three imposters. "Now, Yoshimori!" A quick movement out of the corner of his eye signaled the attack of the several Night Troop gathered around the school, along with Yoshimori and Tokine.

His eyes quickly scanned over the dimly glowing Riki, making sure he was out of harms way before letting himself fall. Sen's nails grew, eyes narrowing as he drew his arms into an attack pose. His body collided with the Ayakashi's head, nails digging into three of those strange eyes. The creature screeched, raising his crude hands to swipe at him.

Sen yanked his hands free, getting ready to slide down its back- only his left hand didn't come free. "Fuck!" He hissed, using his slick green hand to yank at his own wrist. Too late.

The blow sent him careening, form smashing against the concrete building painfully. He fell onto the ground, rolling onto his side to at least attempt to get away. But the Ayakashi had completely forgotten about him; it's remaining eyes were fixed on Riki, who was just being released from the illusion he had created.

"Shit," Sen hissed, scrambling up despite the pain. He couldn't let his lover get injured, not after he promised his safety. Golden eyes blazing, he extended his nails and raced forward, heart pounding as the black creature raised a wickedly curved claw to swipe down.

"Don't do it!" He heard Yoshimori yell but he was already there, the claws digging deeply into his shoulder and below his left arm. A wretched keen of pain left him, claws digging deftly into the hand, his body being tossed like a ragdoll. He hit the ground, rolling a few times before he came to a jolting halt.

His eyes landed on the fighting escalating before him, blue streaking through his vision as Riki fought against the Ayakashi.

No one came to his aid, body numb with pain as, at last, the creature gave a massive roar before vanishing in a flurry of destructive green and blue Kekkai. A wide-eyed Riki raced towards him, dropping to his knees before him. He placed a hand against Sen's hair, hooking a hand underneath him gently. He could barely breath.

"Dumbass. Why didn't you listen to that Kekkaishi? Now I've gotta save your ass again!" Sen wheezed, digging his hand into Riki's shirt to pull him closer, resting his mouth against the others' ear. "I . . . promised to pro . . . tect you . . . remember?" And then he went limp, head spiraling into darkness.


	38. Chapter 38

Pain slashed through his mind, back arching upwards as his fingers and toes clenched into something soft below him. "Hey, try not to move too much, okay?" Sen cracked open an eye, relaxing back against the bed. It was Riki, his eyes calm yet swirling with emotions.

"Your left lung was punctured and one of the claws dug into your shoulderblade, but you'll be okay in a few days." The blond stared at him with a gentle smile on his face, raising a hand slowly to rest it against Riki's face, finding that his hair was loose and swinging around his shoulders. "Sorry I put you through that," he whispered, pulling his head closer to plant a kiss against the Ayakashi's lips.

"This is what, the fourth time you've saved me?" Sen said, smiling against those smirking lips. He scanned the room, realizing they were back in the room they'd been previously staying in. The blond nudged Riki, pointing to the bed. "Stay with me for awhile?" He took the hint, clibing into his lap to straddle his waist.

"Are you sure about this, Sen? You were hurt pretty bad," the Ayakashi asked, rubbing a hand against his stomach gently. Rather than answer, he gave a small nod, using his right hand to yank Riki's head forward. Their tongues danced together in the first real kiss they had shared since the night of their fight.

He danced his fingers along Sen's chest gently, licking a trail from his jaw to his neck, digging his teeth in gently. The blond drew in a breath sharply, waiting for those teasing teeth to either dig into his skin or move away from him. Sen felt a growl begin to well up inside of his throat, hands clenching into the sheets.

"Riki," he said warningly, a thin twinge of pain joining the pleasure and annoyance sparking through his veins. The Ayakashi gave a low snicker, rubbing downwards against him. Sen growled in warning, Riki finally moving away from his throat to lick a trail down to his waist.

Those nails traced aimless patterns along his chest, his free hand pulling away his pants from his body. Sen slipped onto his elbows, gaze heavy-lidded as the other nuzzled against his thigh, blowing lazy breaths towards his already half-hard arousal.

A finger brushed along the shaft, the blond gritting his teeth. Riki closed his hand over the base, a hiss escaping his lips as the other stroked him to full attention. His fingers dug deeper into the sheets, the blue-haired man leaning over to the side of the bed.

_What's he doing?_ He returned with a small vial, glittering in the moonlight. "What's that?" Sen asked quietly, watching him closely. "Oil."

"And when did you get that?" Riki grinned, lying down between his legs to rest a palm against Sen's chest. "I always carry this with me."


	39. Chapter 39

The blond's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "And you couldn't use that the _first_ time we had sex?" The Ayakashi simply smiled wider, purple eyes flashing. "I wasn't sure if you were going to fully accept me. I wasn't going to waste this on just anybody," he said sedcutively, a shiver traveling up Sen's spine.

He smiled inwardly, glad to know that Riki was willing to use that little vial on him and him alone. "Can we move on to the fun parts?" That voice whispered, Sen gently lying back down so he didn't injure his back.

He hurt a momentary _pop_ and a few seconds later felt cold, slippery fingers massaging his entrance. His breath hitched as the first slipped inside, angling upwards almost immediately to dance across his prostate. Another joined the first, followed by the third. Sen was panting, a thin bead of sweat travelling down the side of his head near the end of the second.

_Dammit, why does Riki have to be so good at this?_ They withdrew, the blond letting out an involuntary whimper. But something much bigger replaced it seconds later, two hands resting on either side of his head. Sen opened his eyes, meeting the lust-hazed purple ones of his lover, Riki's face hovering near his own.

Those tantalizing lips crashed against his own as the Ayakashi pressed into him, Sen's nails digging deeply into the sheets. Pleasure and a thin wisp of pain went through him, a moan escaping into Riki's mouth.

The Ayakashi began to thrust, gentle at first, as if thinking of his back. But they turned quicker, the two of them parting so they could pant more freely. His head fell back, Sen trying his hardest not to arch up and cause his body anymore pain than it had already experienced. Riki stilled remained relatively gentle, even though each driving thrust sent him further and further to the edge.

At last, after one hard thrust against his prostate, Sen let out the loudest moan of them all and came against his and Riki's bellies. Those movements grew faster until the blue-haired man shoved himself in all the way, Sen dimly feeling the hot gushes deep inside of him.

They collapsed onto the bed, Riki pulling him into his arms as carefully as he could. Sen basked in the afterglow, smiling.

He could stay like this forever and he certainly doesn't wish that Riki was another person. Because he knows, now that he's tasted a little bit of pleasure, he's going to want it all.

Maybe Riki will be willing to show him something else . . . ?

His eyelids fluttered, light connecting with his eyes almost immediately. Sen yawned, stretched again the form whose arms he was nestled in. "Hey, Riki. You're squishing me," he muttered, feeling the Ayakashi twitch.

"I'm tired. Let me sleep a little bit longer," his lover grumbled, tightening his hands around his waist. "I thought Ayakashi didn't get tired? You're a horrible liar." Sen chuckled, staring at the ceiling contently.

Riki snickered lowly, smiling against his neck. "Why don't we get a shower, just you and I?" The blond glanced up, their eyes meeting. "Who else would you invite?"

"Good point," the blue-haired man said, closing his eyes. This was all he would ever need; Riki and a place that he could return home to. He smiled, his mind falling into the wonderful lilt of sleep yet again.

_"I love you, Riki. We'll be together forever, right?"_

_"That's right, Sen. Forever."_

**-End-**


	40. Chapter 40

Preview of _Nightmares_, the next installment of Sen and Riki's adventures together!

Sen had counted the days carefully, from the moment they had first met to the moment that he had been injured. He had also counted the happy days, the upsetting days, the moving days, and the days they had spent together in each others arms.

And he had also counted the nights of torture and lost sleep that his beloved Riki was experiencing. Whenever Sen would question him the only words he answered with were, "Nightmares, Sen. Go back to sleep." And then the other would vanish for days on end.

This particular night was no different, the blond feeling the shifting in his dreamland that immediately cued him to wake. His amber eyes stretched open, searching around for the form he knew wouldn't be there. No, he was almost always sitting on the windowsill, the moonlight spilling around his shoulders as his quick-to-react reflexes caught the glitter of tears.

"Riki, you're doing it again," he murmured quietly, blinking to adjust to the darkness. Riki jumped, looking over at him with a wide, reassuring smile. "Sorry. They're just nightmares, Sen. Go back to sleep." The blond growled lowly to himself, moving forward to slide from their bed. "No. I'm done ignoring this, Riki. What are your nightmares about and why do you keep hiding them from me?"

The Ayakashi shifted so he was facing Sen, his purples eyes glowing. The man before him, with his blue hair that seemed to be dipped in seafoam and his ever-changing purplish eyes, had always entraptured him and this time was no different. Riki had always worn that long, nearly ten-foot dark blue scarf that they had . . . done things with. Not that he regretted it or anything, certainly not.

But this wasn't right, the fabric lying on its hook near the window as Riki watched him. Something was going on in his head and Sen was pretty sure that it had nothing to do with nightmares.


End file.
